Thursday, February 14, 2013

Advocating for the Future of Education

February 25-26 is
the 5th annual Museums Advocacy Day.
This year the Alliance is offering a free
virtual conference so you can take part even if you can’t get to D.C. for
the live program and Congressional visits. I’m orchestrating a couple of futures-oriented
events—two with components for the virtual audience , and one just for
advocates who are coming to Washington. Here’s the rundown:

Monday, February 25

Keynote Address: Museums andare the Future of
Education

12:45 – 1:45 pm EST

In which I share the signals I
think herald a new era of education in the U.S. We are on the brink of
transformational change, and when we emerge from a turbulent period of
transition, our educational system may be premised on the kind of self-directed,
experience-based learning at which museums excel. Join me for a tour of the
forces driving this change, and a brief glimpse of some possible futures. There
will be opportunities for the virtual audience to weigh in--I look forward
to seeing your thoughts online.

If you are in DC that evening, I
hope you join me for a networking dinner
(Dutch treat) at Jardinea in the Melrose Hotel. I’d love to continue the
keynote discussion of the future of education, any other CFM projects or the
future in general. Sign up for the
dinner at registration on Monday morning

Fritz Katz, who portrays
President Lincoln for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield,
Illinois., is making several appearances during Museums Advocacy Day. As
Lincoln, he is addressing the Congressional Kickoff and Breakfast on Capitol
Hill. (Which ought to keep the senators and representatives in their seats—it
would be so rude to walk out on the
president). Tuesday afternoon I get my turn, interviewing Mr. Klein about his
views, as an amateur historian and a museum educator, on the state of American
education, and what museums can do to make things better. I'll post (and tweet) more later about how to join the chat--stay tuned.

You can register
now for the virtual conference, and please and ping me if you intend to join me for dinner—I’d
love to know who will be around the table.